These are just a few of the meanings set up for the etymological meanings of philo- which comes to us from Greek.

In biology, there are many words that use philo-, phil- to mean "thriving in such and such a place or situation; or exhibiting a tendency for a specified condition" for its existence.

Other meanings include: "strongly attracted to; such as, an organism that loves or is strongly attracted to something which is specified".

In psychology and psychiatry, -phile, -philia, etc. use this element as a word termination indicating an abnormal craving or attraction to or an affinity for an object as shown by the word stems to which they are affixed.

Someone who has a desire for finding and keeping knickknacks or trinkets: Mr. Sampson, who was the local abrakophile, often attended antique shows looking for interesting items to add to his collections.

A fondness for gathering or acquiring curios or ornaments: When Pete cleared out the attic after his mother passed away, he developed a real appreciation for the abrakophilia which characterized her life because she had so many small items that were interesting and rarely available anymore.

A passion to get and to keep all kinds of small objects because they are interesting and unusual: Julia's aunt was often involved with abrakophilism as she traveled using it as an opportunity to find more curious things; such as, a piece of lava from Iceland for her hoard of unusual stones.

That which thrives in association with mites or which is attracted by mites: Karen's veterinarian explained that it was the acarophile of her cat by the mites which were living in her ears that made the animal's ears itch.

Relating to not being colored by the histologic (study of the microscopic structure of animal or plant tissues) or bacteriologic stains which are pigments or dyes used in coloring microscopic objects and tissues for research.

1. A reference to organisms that thrive in a bitter or pungent environment.
2. A designation of a microorganism that grows well in a highly acrid medium.
3. A description of any microorganism that can or must live in a caustic situation (pH below 6).
4. Referring to anything that is easily stained with acid dye.

1. Pertaining to being able to exist in an environment that is typically poor in nutrients or which has a high proportion of silica or quartz.
2. Characterizing genetic individuals which can only thrive in conditions which are very sour or bitter.

1. An element which thrives in a pungent medium or a substance that is sour.
2. That which has an affinity for acid dyes or denoting a cell or tissue element that stains with an acid dye, such as eosin which is a red fluorescent dye that is used in cosmetics or as a biological stain for studying cell structures.
3. Microorganisms or plants that flourish in acetous conditions that are very sour.

Descriptive of a hunger for the consumption of grasshoppers and/or locusts.

Most of the locust's natural enemies; primarily,
beetles, flies, and wasps are neither numerous enough on the ground nor
mobile enough in the air to challenge vast swarms of locusts.

Birds regularly attack locusts, but their effect is only marginal.
African kites drop from the sky and they barrel-roll through the swarm,
grabbing locusts with snaps of their beaks, then they climb high to peel
off again.

—Compiled from "Locusts: 'Teeth of the Wind' ";
by Robert A.M. Conley; National Geographic;
August, 1969; page 213.

1. An appetite for grasshoppers, locusts, or crickets as a supply of food.
2. The term acrido- in the entries related to locusts or grasshoppers is derived from Acrididae, which consists of the locusts and true grasshoppers.

You may take a self-scoring quiz over some of the words in this section by just clicking this Philo Quiz #1 link.